Venerdì aprire discussione Crochet

If you’re here on the blog for Hooked Together, don’t worry … it’s still showing up on Fridays but it goes live later in the day now. That’s because the first post of the day on Friday is going to be a discussion post where you can share your thoughts on a topic of the week.

Today’s Discussion Topic: Crochet in Chain Stores

Crochet clothing has recently seen a resurgence in popularity. There are terrific designers doing cool things with crochet, both on the runway and in crochet magazines and blogs. It’s been great for independent crochet designers but there’s a flip side. Many chains, ranging from Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters are carrying crochet items. This presents a number of possible issues and problems but also some benefits.

What do you think are the biggest issues (Pro e contro) related to chain stores selling crochet? I have some thoughts but I’ll chime in later in the day. Discuss!

15 Commenti:

There are a few concerns with crochet items in big chain retail clothing stores but what really has very sad is seeing crocheted items for sale at the large chain CRAFT stores! You know who I mean. 😉 The idea of having crocheted hats right next to the yarn aisles makes me just want to cry.

Every time I see one of those items in the shop window – and there are loads of them here in Australia at the moment as it is summer and lacy crocheted clothing lends itself well to summer – I wonder how much they are selling for (Non molto, given the chain stores they are in) and how much the original crocheter was paid for making them. I love that they are promoting crochet and that I currently feel quite fashionable in my me-made crocheted items. But I know that they are hand-made. I need to go in and check out the price tags.

@Lara … This is one of the biggest issues that I think about when I see crochet in chain stores. I think it’s wonderful that the style is becoming popular again and I know that chain stores play a huge role in that. Tuttavia, since crochet does have to be made by hand, it’s safe to assume that any type of crochet that an average person can afford in a regular chain store is going to be something that the crocheter wasn’t paid a fair wage for. It’s a big issue in this industry!

A very small part of me is happy that crochet is being seen in the fashion world….the larger part is disturbed..case: why shopping w/my son I peeked at crochet hats and scarves in a major store. The hat was VERY thin and no life to it which was posted a $50 price tag…the scarf was short and thin price tag $75. My point are these handmade I very much doubt it and at what cost?

@Cheryl … The pricing on crochet items in stores is a huge problem for sure. Da un lato, if it’s really crocheted by hand then it should have a price tag that reflects that but if it does then most people won’t pay for it. If it doesn’t then the person isn’t getting a fair wage for it which in turn affects all handmade crocheters because people assume that they can get crochet at a cheaper price. And if the person is getting a fair wage and the price is low then chances are that it’s not really crocheted at all. Grande commento, thanks for highlighting this part of the issue!

Come dici tu, there are two sides to the issue. It would be interesting if chain stores had crochet items but here in Canada, unless you are in the easy (Toronto – Montreal) fashion trends of any sort seem to be a year or so behind — I have not even see a crochet hat in any chain store and I live near Vancouver. I would like to see crochet promoted any way possible. As it is, crochet is sold mostly by little old ladies doing dish cloths and baby hats in local craft fairs or flea markets — so those who make crochet items are still weighted down with the little old lady doing it in her spare time and she should GIVE away her work as it is ONLY a handcraft… I sure do hope things improve and that crochet work becomes more visible to the buying public! regardless of where it is sold.

Thanks for sharing @Susan. I didn’t realize that fashion trends were so different there than here. I see tons of crochet in stores here in San Francisco. I actually mostly frequently small boutiques so the crochet that I do see is handcrafted and priced accordingly (and therefore not really relevant to this open conversation). Tuttavia, we do have the big stores (like Urban Outfitters) and I’ve seen crochet in stores like H&M and the Gap which is where the big issues come in. Da un lato, I’m thrilled that these stores bring “uncinetto” to the masses and therefore help to spark more of an interest in the craft and more awareness that the craft can be stylish and fashionable. Tuttavia, most of this crochet isn’t true crochet (it’s machine made which isn’t crochet) and if it is crochet then the maker probably isn’t getting a fair wage for the work. So it’s a complex issue with (almeno) two sides. But as you’ve said, I think there’s a lot of value to crochet being in the public eye and I want to see even more of that in a sustainable fair-wage kind of way.

I love the fact that crochet is back in fashion because it means that making things isn’t now seen as an old ladies thing and laughed at as much. I don’t like the big chains selling it because they don’t sell crochet items at realistic prices. It means people thing handmade is too expensive so they buy from the shops instead.

@SusanD1408 … You have summed up the issue so succinctly, making perfect sense. IO, troppo, think it’s wonderful that crochet is seeing a resurgence in being a popular and trendy style that is appreciated for what it is. And I also think that there’s a big concern surrounding inappropriate pricing on crochet in stores for so many reasons including, as you’ve said, that low crochet prices in stores discourage people from paying fair prices for handmade goods.